Lakewood hires Choi as new boys hoops coach

ARLINGTON — David Choi has been named the new head coach of the Lakewood boys basketball team, replacing Matt Hart, who resigned following the 2012-13 season.

It is the first head coaching job for the 23-year-old Choi, who spent five years as an assistant coach at Sehome High School while attending Western Washington University. He served as an assistant coach for Thomas Jefferson High School last season.

“David came across as a young man with a lot of passion and energy for the game of basketball,” Lakewood athletic director Matt Blair said. “He’s super-organized, he’s cutting-edge in terms of technology and the game. He’s coming in with a pedigree from some good programs. He’s spent time around good basketball programs and people that gave him pretty strong references about his character, his work ethic and his love and passion for the game.” Choi graduated from Decatur High School in Federal Way in 2007, just six years later he has his first varsity head coaching job.

“It’s a real honor to get a job at such a young age,” Choi said.

Now that Choi has the job, he has already started making goals for the future. First and foremost, he would like to turn the Cougars into a perennial Cascade Conference power. Choi said Hart did a good job of establishing the foundation of the program and now he wants to take it to the next level.

“I was looking up at the banners on the wall at the Lakewood gym and we are the only sport, boys and girls, with no championship banners,” Choi said. “That’s just crazy to me. I come from Decatur where we’re really good at basketball and Sehome where we were really good at basketball and (Thomas Jefferson) we made regionals this year. Its new to me, but I feel like I have a bunch of kids that are capable of winning.”

Choi currently teaches at Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, but said he will be moving north before the start of the 2013-14 school year.

Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Follow him on twitter @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.